Revolution Race Fusion fleece jacket review: a chunky hybrid with plenty of breathability

First impressions

The Fusion Fleece from Swedish brand Revolution Race is a chunky, heavyweight insulator that is designed to be worn as outerwear or as a conventional midlayer. As such, it employs a hybrid construction, using a heavy-gauge fleece with a knit face as the main fabric, interspersed with lighter stretch fleece panels. This gives it a stylish and contemporary look while boosting performance in terms of overall warmth for weight, breathability, moisture management, comfort and fit.

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It’s also been made with durability in mind, with an anti-pilling fabric treatment and double-layer stretch cuffs, so it ought to offer good long-term value – and has a reasonable price point to match. It doesn’t skimp on features either, with a full-length reverse-coil main zip, which has a soft chin guard and is backed with a baffle. You get a zipped chest pocket and two open hand pockets. The cuffs also incorporate thumb loops – always a handy feature, as far as we’re concerned – while the hem has a drawcord adjustment.

In the field

Revolution Race is a relative newcomer to the outdoors market. This Swedish brand was formed in 2014 by an outdoorsy couple who were fed up with high-priced but poorly-fitting, outmoded gear. Their direct-to-consumer model, which is focused on web-only sales and a major digital presence, is one that seems to be working well. Buyers and social media influencers alike have been raving about the kit, particularly its quality of fit – so we were interested to try it out.

We have to say, we were very impressed with the Revolution Race Fusion fleece jacket. It’s a thoughtfully designed and well-made jacket, one that delivers plenty of warmth but also decent breathability thanks to the lighter weight stretch panels placed under the arms. These also make it more comfortable to wear than most knit, pile or shearling-type fleeces, aided by flatlock seams throughout. It has a contemporary cut that is stylish but practical. This gives a trim silhouette, but plenty of length in the arms and body for good coverage and articulation, with no hem lift.

The brand says this is a fleece designed for multi-activity use, citing everything from fishing to mountaineering. That’s a wide range of disciplines, and due to the garment’s warmth and weight, we’d say it is better suited to low-output activities rather than anything too fast-paced, unless you’re doing it in really cold conditions. We did note that the double stretch cuffs, which are otherwise a plus for durability, do tend to soak up and hold a fair bit of moisture. We’d also like zipped hand pockets to give a few more options in terms of storage, particularly since this is otherwise a great outer layer for cold but dry conditions. But those are minor details, and the brand has got the essentials covered impressively well.